I suppose the comparison to Shrek is going to be obvious and it doesn’t help that they use that name on the cover of the box, but this animated feature should please the kiddies but might not appeal to adults in the way that Shrek did.
What the back of the box says:
The box also screams “from a producer of Shrek and Shrek 2.” That producer is John H. Williams and he joins a gaggle of international producers and company to bring the fairytale to animated life. The show is set in fairytale land just like our big, green, ogre friend. This time a benevolent wizard lives in the attic of Prince Charming’s castle and keeps the balance of good and evil in check. He decides to go on vacation and leaves his bumbling assistants in charge of keeping everything balanced.
Unfortunately for them, they’re noticed by Frieda, the wicked stepmother, and she decides to do a little balancing of her own with the results falling towards the evil side. The voice cast does a good job with the main voices done with a bit of stunt casting. Cinderella is voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Rick (the Prince’s gopher) is voiced by Freddie Prinze, Jr. They’re married in real life so it’s funny to see Rick pining after Ella who is smitten with the Prince.
The Prince is voiced by old pro Patrick Warburton who gives him a bit of a different sound than his usual deep voice and made me wonder if it was really him – guess he was trying something different. Though this film takes place in the same territory as Shrek it seems to lack the cool and hip vibe that made Shrek a hit will both the teens, adults, and the kids.
Happily seems to be aimed at the younger crowd, but it does try to be hip but never reaches the lofty heights of Shrek. Those expecting something similar will go away disappointed (they have only themselves to blame at that since they put those Shrek references on the front). Just go in without those expectations and you’ll have a fairly entertaining family film.
Happily N’Ever After is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. A fullscreen version is available separately. Special features include a commentary with director Paul Bolger. The “Department of Fairy Tale Security” section contains five DVD games. There’s also a 2 minute alternate ending and 7 minutes of deleted scenes.
There are three featurettes which you can watch them in their separate section or use the “play all” function. First is the 16 minute “Journey of the Characters in the Enchanted Forest” in which director Bolger talks about each character. The 3 minute “From Storyboard to Fairytale: A Comparison” shows three scenes in various stages of completion.
Finally there’s the 11 minute “Creating the Happily Story: Bringing N’Ever After to Life.” It has interviews with Sigourney Weaver, Freddy Prinze, Jr., George Carlin, Bolger, writer Rob Moreland, and animation director Dino Athanassiou. The final special feature is a trailer collection for other Lionsgate kids DVDs, but no trailer for the feature.
Happily N’Ever After is a cute family film, though it doesn’t rise to the level of the film that it attempts to emulate but it is entertaining in its own right. Take it out for the kids, but you too might be entertained by what you see.
Happily N’Ever After is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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